What Humanism Isn’t: Humanism Isn’t Anti-Religious

The Myth: Humanism Is Just Atheism in Disguise

When people hear “Humanism,” many assume it’s just atheism with a fancy name. A way to reject faith, deny God, or push some anti-religious agenda.

That assumption is completely wrong.

Humanism isn’t about opposing religion—it’s about prioritizing people.

It’s about choosing to lead a compassionate, ethical life based on reason, kindness, and cooperation—whether or not you believe in a higher power.

And for me, that realization didn’t come easily.

My Story: When Rules Mattered More Than Love

I remember having a conversation with some old church friends—people I had once gone to church with every week, even considered ministry alongside.

We were talking about love, compassion, and taking care of others.

At the time, I had started questioning why so many religious rules seemed to get in the way of simply loving people.

I had friends who were gay, divorced, or who didn’t fit into the mold of what our church expected.

I wasn’t rejecting faith—I was just asking:

📌 Why do we need all these rules to justify caring for people?
📌 Shouldn’t love come first?

Their response?

👉 “You have to love through religion.”
👉 “Good works matter because they honor God.”
👉 “Sacrifice is important, but it’s about obedience.”

And sure, those things aren’t bad. But it made me realize:

🔹 If you’re only being kind because of religious rules, does that kindness still feel real?
🔹 If good deeds only matter because they “glorify” something, is that true compassion—or obligation?

At that moment, I didn’t have the words for it yet, but I felt something was missing.

Wasn’t there a way to just… be good, for the sake of being good?

That’s when I found Humanism.

What Humanism Actually Is

When you strip away eternal rewards, supernatural rules, and divine mandates, Humanism is simply this:

✔️ Treat others with dignity, kindness, and fairness.
✔️ Work together because we’re stronger as a community.
✔️ Do good, not for a higher power—but because it makes the world better.

And here’s the part that so many people get wrong:

📌 Humanism and religion are not enemies. You can be a religious person and still embrace Humanist principles.
📌 You don’t have to give up faith to believe in Humanism. Many religious people are deeply compassionate—not because of divine reward, but because they genuinely care.
📌 But Humanism also stands on its own. You don’t need to believe in a god to recognize the value of kindness, cooperation, and ethics.

At its core, Humanism isn’t about rejecting faith—it’s about prioritizing humanity.

What the Experts Say (Without Getting Preachy)

Philosopher Corliss Lamont, a major advocate for modern Humanism, put it best:

"Humanism, in emphasizing the good life of self-realization and fulfillment, does not deny that religion has played a major role in civilization. But it does insist that a good life can be achieved without belief in the supernatural."

In other words? Faith and Humanism can coexist, but Humanism is also fully independent.

The Takeaway: Humanism and Faith Can Work Together—But They Don’t Have To

If religion inspires you to be kind, compassionate, and just—that’s great.

But Humanism isn’t anti-religious because it doesn’t need religion at all.

👉 You can believe in God and be a Humanist.
👉 You can have no belief at all and be a Humanist.
👉 At the end of the day, Humanism is about people—not doctrine.

If our goal is to make the world a better place, does it really matter if we do good for faith or for humanity—so long as we choose to do good?

Stay curious. Stay human. And always, be kind.

Where This Series Goes Next

🔹 This post is the first in my “What Humanism Isn’t” series—a look at the biggest misconceptions about Humanism and what it truly stands for.

📝 Upcoming Posts in the Series:
🔹 “Humanism Isn’t About Selfishness” (Exploring why Humanism is about cooperation, not individualism.)
🔹 “Humanism Isn’t Just for Intellectuals” (Breaking the stereotype that Humanism is only for academics.)
🔹 “Humanism Isn’t a Utopian Fantasy” (Recognizing that Humanists don’t expect perfection—just progress.)
🔹 “Humanism Isn’t a Cult or a Religion” (Debunking the myth that Humanism is just another belief system with rules.)

Stay tuned for the next post, and if this resonates with you, Join the conversation—follow me on Socials or check out more posts.